What it Means to Lead Now: Social Impact Leaders Respond to Uncertain Times

Massive global migration and the ongoing refugee crisis; disruptive technology increasing information access; and rapid job automation are contributing to profound social and economic changes. Social impact leaders are used to shifting priorities and strategies as the social and economic landscape evolves; however, today, they are facing a political disruption of an unprecedented scale.

Beyond deploying grant dollars to support at-risk populations, some corporations are leveraging non-financial resources to operate within the rapidly shifting political context. From Amazon, which deployed its legal team to fight the executive order on immigration, to Paypal, which reversed a planned expansion into North Carolina following passage of the ‘bathroom bill’, we are seeing organizations taking a public stand on policy decisions that threaten their goals or values.

Key Questions for the Future

While social impact leaders are demonstrating a desire to shift approach, Dalberg also finds many are grappling with profound questions about their short term actions and medium term strategic trajectory:

How do I lead, communicate with, and inspire my organization through uncertainty?

Do I understand the beliefs that are driving opposition my organization’s priorities?

Dalberg is interested in understanding how leaders are responding to recent political disruptions, and if they plan to adapt their organizations. Between July and September, we will be leading conversations with diverse, forward-leaning social impact leaders to understand how they are responding, and the risks and opportunities ahead. In our next blog, we will share some early insights from our interviews. In the meantime, let us know what you think on Twitter, tagging @Dalbergtweet.

Dalberg recently brought together an eclectic group of fintechs, catalytic funders, banks, policy makers, investors and foundations to discuss ‘Privacy in Financial Services’, in collaboration with CGAP and Dvara Research.